Trackway for overhead trolleys.



E. Y. MOORE.

TRAGKWAY FOR OVERHEAD TROLLEYS.

APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 17, 1912.

1,037,036 Y Patented Aug. 27, 1912.

\33\ Y (36 10\ |37\l"3l,`/ I ./34 ,|OOO1 n W www" "1 la' I A30 12., Oi? ,I

GIO- l wml-(5140101011111,

W V3i?" @ki/4 Q V ZfL/iznfsf's E fnl/BNIB?. v

.pz @mx/1L. E 0K w? j Jiffy COLUMBIA pLANOUHAPH 60., WASHINGTON. D. Cs

EDWARD Y. MOORE, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

TRACKWAY FOR OVERHEAD TROLLEYS.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 27,1912.

Application filed June 17, 1912. Serial No. 704,042.

To aZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD Y. MOORE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Trackways for Overhead Trolleys, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to overhead trackways provided with branches and adapted to support a depending trolley shiftable from the main track to either of the branches. l

The object of the invention is to provide the switch part at the junction of the main and branch tracks in a form which shall be simple and cheap in construction and etlicient in service.

More specifically, my invention is concerned with those overhead trackways which are made by I-beams adapted to be supported at their upper flanges, as, for eX- ample, on the underside of a ceiling or deck.

My invention provides a member. carrying the switch points for the main and branch beams, which is adapted to be 1nserted from below between such beams and be suitably secured to them, and thereby form continuations of their tracks into spaced switch points.

The invention is illustrated in the drawings hereof and is hereinafter more fully explained and its essential characteristics set out in the claims.

In the drawings, which clearly illustrate my invention, Figure 1 is a side elevat-ion of a portion of a main and branch trackway equipped with my switch-point member, this view also showing a trolley adapted to be used with such t-rackway; Fig. 2 is a plan of such branching trackways equipped with my switch point member; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section thereof; Fig. 4; is an end view of the switch point member; Figs. 5 and 6 are fragmentary sections at the junctionof the switch point member and one of the branch tracks- F ig. 5 being taken horizontal on the line indicated by 5-5 in Fig. 1, and Fig. 6- taken vertically on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, 1 represents the main trackway and 2 and 3 the branches. These branches 2 and 3 stand at an acute angle to each, and, in the embodiment shown, diverge equally from the line of the main trackway 1. Each of these trackways is shown as consisting of an I-beam having the usual vertical web, and the double flanges at the top and at the bottom.

T, in Fig. 1, indicates any suitable trolley having wheels t adapted to ride on the lower flanges of such I-beams.

My switch-point member is a single integral casting secured to the branches 1, 2 and 3 and carrying a continuation of their respective tracks. As shown, this casting consists of a top plate 10, vertical webs 11, 12 and 13 and horizontal flanges 14, 15 and 16 secured to such webs respectively. The flange 14 is tapered from both sides to a point, as shown, while the flanges 15 and 16 are out olf diagonally and stand on opposite sides of the point 14 suitably spaced therefrom. The webs 11, 12 and 13 are cut through, as illustrated in Fig. 1, to allow the passage of the trolley wheels and frame arm. It will be understood that when the casting is suitably secured in place between the main beam 1 and the two branch beams 2 and 3, the webs 11, 12 and 13 form a continuation of the I-beam track, so that a trol- 'ley may be shifted between the main track j flanges of the three I-beams cut off at right angles and the webs 11, 12 and 13 are formed to abut the webs of these I-beams. The bottom flanges 14, 15 and 16 of the switch member are thicker than the I-beani flanges, so that, while their top surfaces aline, their bottom plane is below that of the I-beams, and the end portions of these bottom flanges have extensions 23, 24 and 25 which project from the lower part of the flanges beneath the bottom flanges of the respective I-beams.

The extensions, when the casting is in place, are riveted to the bottom flanges of the I-beam, as illustrated by the rivets 26, 27 and 28. The webs of the casting near their ends are reduced to the thickness of the webs of the I-beams, and are secured to themby plates 30, 31 and 32 overlapping suitable rivets 33, 34 and 35. There are Y the Lbeams.

preferably atleast two rivets at each side of the junction of the switch member and corresponding I-beam.' The various rivets may convenientlybe countersunk, as shown in the drawings.

If desired, the fish plates may extend from the top to the bottom flanges, as shown at 31 and 32. vSome types of trolleys, however, have the Wheels, which lie in upwardly diverging planes, so close together that they are liable to strike the lower part of such tlsh plates, and for such use I prefer to have the fish plates of less depth, so that they engage only the upper part of the web, as illustrated by the plates 30 in Figs. 1, 2 and t.

If desired, I may stilfen and 'strengthen the switching casting by providing transverse braces connecting the vertical webs 11, 12 and 13 with the top flanges. These braces are Webs cast integrally with the other parts of the switch member, as illustrated at 36, 37 and 38 and extend inward downwardly and terminate adjacent to the middle line of the webs, so as to be out of the way of the trolley.

The construction described, it will be seen, is simple and cheap. It may be put in place from below after the I-beams are in place and secured to their supporting deck. The overlapping plates, the rivets and the extensions form a very effective means for securing the casting to the webs and flanges to By making the casting webs and flanges considerably thicker than the web and flanges of the I-beams and employing, if desired, the transverse braces, proper strength is obtained. Moreover, a simple rabbet or offset in the top surface of the flanges provides the desired extensions adapted to lie on the base of the respective I-beam 'flanges while the top surface of the casting flanges alines with the top surface of the I-beam flanges.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The combination, with a main ,trackway and a plurality of branch t-rackways all adapted to be supported from above, of a member carrying switch points and adapted to be secured to such main and branch trackways, such member having its top terminating between the planes of the ends of the main and branch trackways, whereby the member may be inserted between such trackways from below, and means for securing the member to the respective trackways.

2. The combination, with an I-beam constituting a main trackway and a pair 0f I-beams constituting branches of the main trackway, of an intermediate switching member adapted to be secured tov said three I-beams and comprising a top plate, depending webs and projecting flanges carried by the webs, the top plate terminating Within webs of the various I-beams, and plates extending crosswise of the junction of the webs of the switching member and the adjacent I-beam web, and means for securing such plates to the various webs.

t. The combination, with a main track I-beam and two branch track I-beams, said beams being cut olf at their ends at substantially right angles to their length, of an intermediate casting carrying flanges which are a continuation of the lower flanges of the l I-beams, the said casting flanges having extensions projecting beneath and secured to the lower flanges ofthe respective I-beams.

5. The combination, with Van I-beam constituting a main trackway and a pair of I-beams constituting branches of the main trackway, the ends of such beams being at substantially right angles to their lengths, of an intermediate casting adapted to be secured to said three I-beams and comprising a top plate, depending webs and projecting bottom flanges carried by the webs, the top plate terminating within the space between the top flanges of the various I-beams and having its edges substantially abutting such flanges, the webs of the casting substantially abutting the webs of the I-beams and being secured to them, and the casting anges alining on their top surface with the top of j j the I-beam base-flanges and being secured to them. j

6. The combination, with a main track I- beam and two branch track I-beams forming an acute angle with the main I-beam and separated therefrom, of an intermediate casting having a top plate formed to aline with the top flanges of the three I-beams and having depending webs formed to aline with the webs of the three I-beams and having bottom flanges formed to aline on their top surfaces with the bottom flanges of the respective I-beams, said bottom flanges of the cast-ing extending farther down than the bottom flanges of the I-beams and projecting j outwardly at their ends to extend beneath such I-beam flanges, means for securing such extensions to the I-beam flanges, and means for securing the webs of the casting to the webs of the I-beams.

7 The combination, with a main track I- I beam and two branch track I-beams departing therefrom at an acute angle and spaced from the main I-beam, the ends of such I- beams being cut off at substantially right angles, of' an intermediate casting having a top plate adapted to aline With the top flanges of the three I-beams, the edges of the plate being formed substantially to abut the end of the top lianges of the I-beams, said plate having three depending Webs, the outer ends of which are adapted to substantially abut the ends of the Webs of the respective I-beams, said casting having a flan e at the base of each of its Webs, one of sai fianges being a pointed member, the outer portion of which is adapted to abut the end of the lower flange of the main beam and is offset to extend beneath it, and the other tWo flanges being out off diagonally and standing on opposite sides of said point, the outer portions of such out o flanges abutting the lower flanges of the branch beams and eX- tending beneath them, means for fastening such extensions of the casting flanges to the I-beam flanges, and means for fastening the Webs of the casting to the Webs of the I- beams.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto alx my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

EDWARD Y. MOORE. Witnesses:

ROBERT RUBLE, CLARENCE A. PAGE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

